astronomy

Galaxy 30

Galaxy 30 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Galaxy 30 rather than just read about it. In short: Galaxy 30 is a communications satellite owned by Intelsat located at 125° West longitude, serving the North American market. It was built by Orbital ATK, as part of its GEOStar-2 line.

Key takeaways

Galaxy 30 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Galaxy 30 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Galaxy 30 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Galaxy 30 is a communications satellite owned by Intelsat located at 125° West longitude, serving the North American market. It was built by Orbital ATK, as part of its GEOStar-2 line. Galaxy 30 was formerly known as Galaxy 14R. This satellite provides services in the C-band, Ku-band, Ka-band, and L-band.

History Galaxy 30 was contracted in January 2018 by Intelsat to Orbital ATK.

Launch Galaxy 30 is an American (Bermuda registered) geostationary satellite that was launched by an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, French Guiana at 22:04:00 UTC on 15 August 2020. The 3,298 kg (7,271 lb), 16 kW satellite carries C-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band transponders to provide data transmissions to North America, after parking over 125° West longitude. Galaxy 30 carries a C-band transponder payload for traditional broadcast applications, such as ultra-high definition television distribution, and also Ku-band and Ka-band payloads to support broadband applications. The satellite also hosts a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS-GEO 7) payload, transmitting in the L band (specifically, L1 and L5).

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Galaxy 30

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Galaxy 30 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Galaxy 30 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Galaxy 30 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Galaxy 30

In research: Galaxy 30 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Galaxy 30 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Galaxy 30 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ariane commercial payloads, Communications satellites in geostationary orbit, Satellite television, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Galaxy 30 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Galaxy 30 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Galaxy 30 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Galaxy 30 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Galaxy 30 in simple terms?

Galaxy 30 is a communications satellite owned by Intelsat located at 125° West longitude, serving the North American market. It was built by Orbital ATK, as part of its GEOStar-2 line.

Why does Galaxy 30 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Galaxy 30?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Galaxy 30.